Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for the blessings in life. When many think of this Fall holiday, a monumental feast filled with turkey and all your favorite foods come to mind. This is not a reality for a growing amount of hungry Americans who do not know where their next meal will come from. If you want to make a difference this holiday season, help take a bite out of hunger in your local community by starting a food drive. November and December require the most donations as food banks and pantries often run short of food. With the help of good Samaritans and the right supplies, you can lend a helping hand to those in need.
Support
Pick a local food bank or food pantry in your community that is in need. Contact the organization and ask what food and supplies they need the most. Once you have determined who you would like to help, it is time to enlist the help of your community. This is not a one person job and takes an army of friends, neighbors, and family members.
Spread the Word
Use social media platforms, flyers, and the word of mouth to announce your food drive. In your announcement be sure to include the start and finish date, as well as your goal for the drive. For example, create a Facebook event and invite all your friends and family to participate. Include school organizations, sports teams, religious groups, and more. Getting the word out about your food drive will bring in more donations.
Supplies for Your Food Drive
Moving boxes make the perfect vessel for collecting items for your food drive. They vary in sizes, ranging from small to extra large, to meet your giving needs. Boxes are sturdier than bags and are built to withstand handling and delivery. They even meet UPS and FedEx shipping requirements if you have donors who would like to contribute outside of your community. Although moving boxes are affordable, programs like Take A Box, Leave a Box can help you gather supplies for free. Make sure to label your boxes, and you are all set to start collecting.
Serve
Once the window of collections for your food drive closes, it is time to collect all donations and deliver them to your organization of choice. A cargo van is perfect for transporting and delivering donations. It can hold up to 3,500 pounds which would feed 2,917 people this holiday season. Whether you raise more than that number or less, always remember that any donation whether big or small makes a difference. After you deliver your donations, be sure to broadcast the final tally of donations to all of those that contributed.
Do you have any tips on starting a food drive? Tell us in the comments below!
